Jermell Charlo took to social media on Saturday to beg Terence Crawford to give him a fight. He says he’s only coming back for fights that “make money,” and he views undisputed super middleweight champion Crawford as the ideal opponent for him to accomplish that.
Why Crawford Won’t Pick Up That Call
Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) has been inactive for over two years since his loss to Canelo Alvarez in 2023. The popularity that the former undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell once had is now gone.
Fans have forgotten him, and the younger ones who have never seen him fight have no reason to be interested in seeing a fight involving him and Crawford.
It is troubling that Jermell wants to come back and immediately jump straight into a big payday fight against Crawford without working for it by moving up to 168 and beating the top contenders. He’s not interested in working for the opportunity. Charlo wants it given to him based on what he did years ago when he was still active.
Begging for Bud
“It would be an honor to get in the ring with him. Being in the ring with Crawford would be amazing. I would give him the best fight. I would give him the best fight of today’s era,” said Jermell Charlo on social media, going overboard with his begging of Terence Crawford.
It doesn’t matter how much begging Jermell does; Terence Crawford is not going to fight him. He needs to put that pipe dream out of his head and enjoy what’s left of the big check he got fighting Canelo Alvarez on September 30, 2023. He’s rumored to have received a $20 million payday in that fight, and he looked like he didn’t even try to win.
Weak-Era Champion
Jermell is from a different time, competing at 154 during the weak era, where the division was barren of talent. The top guys when Charlo held titles were these fighters:
- Brian Castano
- Austin Trout
- Tony Harrison
- Jeison Rosario
- Vanes Martirosyan
If those guys fought in this era at 154, they wouldn’t even be fringe contenders. The division is so much stronger. A fighter like Jermell Charlo wouldn’t be a belt-holder. He’d get picked off by the vultures down in the pack, unless he were protected by PBC with careful matchmaking.
Did the Money Change ‘Mell Forever
“I’m only interested in fights that make sense and make money… I’m a legend. I’m legendary. I got two mega mansions. Turki money. Money is money, I don’t care who is giving it. Call me ‘Money Mell.’ We turn into Money Shaong… get rich and retire and have fun.”
It’s good that Jermell bought two mega-mansions in Texas. He needs to enjoy those houses and take it easy. If he comes back, he’s not going to get a fight against Crawford. If he campaigns hard enough, he might get a fight against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, because his promoter, Eddie Hearn, has been picking low-hanging fruit for him since he signed the Philadelphia native on April 10, 2024.
Jeepers Isaac has been covering boxing since 2020, bringing readers sharp ringside insights and timely analysis on the sport’s biggest moments.